Process Overview for Owners
One page to see the whole surface-finishing line: what happens at each stage, what it costs, and what you have to decide.
Stage by stage, and the owner's decision
1. Forming Workshop
Decide: in-house casting vs bought parts. Drives tooling capex, scrap rate and lead time.
2. Surface Preparation
Decide: automation level of cleaning lines. Drives labour, water use and rework.
3. Plating Workshop
Decide: process mix (barrel / rack / precious) and bath control depth. Drives cost per piece and claims.
4. Painting Workshop
Decide: which coating routes to keep in-house. Drives energy, yield and colour capability.
5. Equipment & Quality
Decide: measurement and maintenance investment. Drives first-pass yield and customer audits.
The money and customer questions
- Investment & Payback
- Plant & Capacity
- Process Selection
- Quality & Customer
- Chemistry & Supply
- Team & Delivery
Technicians: use the shop-floor knowledge map or the search box (try "barrel senior").